


Maedhros Upon the Wall

by starlightwalking



Series: Lost Lays of the Legendarium [1]
Category: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Canon Compliant, Lay Lyrique, M/M, Poetry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-29
Updated: 2018-05-29
Packaged: 2019-05-15 08:18:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14786831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starlightwalking/pseuds/starlightwalking
Summary: Maedhros and Sauron, in lay lyrique.





	Maedhros Upon the Wall

**Author's Note:**

> some people procrastinate by watching tv. other people procrastinate by composing tolkienesque poetry. i've never attempted anything like this before and i have no idea if it turned out any good...but i sure had fun writing it! sauron speaking to maedhros was especially interesting and i'm glad i explored that :)
> 
> ETA 3/19/19: I wrote a longer lay of Maedhros' entire life, which better fits the title of "[The Lay of Maedhros](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18172832)." Therefore I have changed the name of this story in order to use the title for another fic!

   There upon that dreadful wall,  
Thangorodrim, the mountain tall,  
hung Maedhros, the eldest son  
of Fëanor, the Burning One.

Though day and night brought torments all  
from Morgoth and his orcish thralls,  
he held his tongue and spoke no word  
of Noldor schemes by spear and sword.

Sauron, Necromancer cruel,  
sought to use him as a tool  
to bring the end of Elven days  
and burn the world beneath his gaze.

Said he to Maedhros, great in pain,  
"I am Morgoth's highest thane.  
So tell me now and spare thy lies:  
where ought I to cast mine eyes  
to see the Noldor army small  
and ambush them so they might fall?"

Now Maedhros turned his face away;  
he would not speak, nor he betray  
the Oath he took with brothers six  
that they might Morgoth's vengeance fix.

But Sauron leaned close to his ear:  
"O Noldo Prince, what dost thou fear?  
I will reward thy willing tongue  
with that for which thy heart has sung.  
Freedom sweet! o blesséd word!  
and thou shalt lead a might hoard."

Now Maedhros laughed, the offer spurned.  
His heart was strong, and never turned.  
"Foolish wraith!" he cried aloud,  
"to Morgoth my kin never bowed,  
and I would not fain to be the first,  
though hunger strong and burns my thirst."

Sauron raised up to his lips  
a glass of wine, o gleaming drips.  
Despite his fury, Maedhros drank,  
but pride did not let loose a thank.

"Now speak again," did Sauron say,  
"a further offer, if I may,  
I give to thee. A traitor's bill:  
thou wouldst betray for Silmaril!"

Now bitterly did Maedhros clench  
his dangling fist, and fail to wrench  
it from its chain upon the cliff  
for Morgoth's bonds were strong and stiff.

"O Lord of Lies," he spat upon  
and spittle hissed against Sauron,  
the wraith whose flesh did burn in rage  
since serving Aulë in past age.  
"Thou speakest false, for Morgoth's crown  
claims my father's jewels, and down  
from evil heights shall never come  
their glimmer to my palm and thumb  
lest Morgoth's power be destroyed  
and Valar cast him to the Void."

"But I would wrench them loose for thee,  
and let them in thine hands go free,  
for I would conquer elves and then  
turn and kill my Master's reign,"  
quoth Sauron, dark in evil thought,  
that fore and since be trusted not.  
"For lo! I love the Valar still  
and to their glory bends my will.  
Manwë's spy I am in sooth;  
I wish to aid thee, that is truth!"

But Maedhros still was slow to trust  
a slave of Morgoth, he whose lust  
drove Noldor from the Valar's love,  
and faith he lacked in those above.  
"Know not the Valar Noldor spurned,  
and in harsh bitterness hath learned  
they care for naught but their own rule  
and watch in jest my people duel?"

Sauron's wrath was kindled then,  
and seething now he spoke again:  
"Valar's love thou canst deny,  
but Oath of father thou must try  
to now fulfill, or else thy soul  
shall languish in the Void, that hole."

Sauron's scheme had struck him true,  
and bitterly did Maedhros rue  
the taking of the deadly Oath  
that led to death and ruin both.

Long did he hang in silence there,  
for price envisioned he could not bear.  
To lead his folk and brothers foul,  
to run afar and hear their howls?  
Unthinkable! but still within  
the Oath he took with all his kin  
did boil fierce. No matter how  
he cursed, he could not break his vow.

"O Sauron, whatever be thy plot  
that lets me hang up here to rot,  
I beseech thee: grant me thought!  
Tomorrow morn I may, or not."

Now Sauron gleeful sped away  
and told to Morgoth all the day,  
and the Dark Lord's laugh did peal  
for never would he keep the deal.

 

   In great despair did Maedhros hang  
foreseeing evils he would bring,  
and wished he long upon that wall  
some mighty rock to on him fall  
and give to him a lowly death  
and save his people in last breath.

But lo! through mists of darkness then  
there came a song Maedhros did ken.  
A lilting tune of Fingon proud,  
his dearest love, beyond dark cloud.

With rising hope inside his breast  
an answering call leapt from his chest.  
Then Fingon's song broke off, and woe!  
was Maedhros' heart, it sank so low.

"A trick of Morgoth," he did think,  
"a lie to push me to the brink.  
For Fingon lies beyond the Sea  
with no path hither to rescue me."

And then anon the song did rise,  
and with his own astonished eyes  
Maedhros beheld his cousin dear  
calling out a song of cheer.

But soon did Fingon turn to weep:  
the cliff before him was too steep  
for him to climb and save his love  
who now was doomed to death above.

Now Maedhros lost all hope and cried,  
"'Twere better for all if now I died!  
Shoot me, Fingon, if thou still hold  
love for me which thou hadst of old."

Fingon, weeping, raised his bow  
and whispered prayer on ground below:  
"O King to whom all birds are dear,  
speed now this feather in the air.  
Recall some pity for my kin  
as we repent now for our sin!"

And then in sky above did rise  
a mighty creature in the skies:  
Thorondor, the Eagle King,  
Manwë's pity in his wing,  
came to Thangorodrim the tall  
and lighted there upon the wall.

Fingon dropped his arrow's shaft  
and climbed upon the eagle's back,  
and praising Manwë kissed the cheek  
of Maedhros whom he long did seek.  
But evil chain that held him there  
would not release, nor break, nor tear  
from the hellish cliffside face  
and Maedhros begged life to erase.

"I will not slay thee, whom I love,  
but free thine arm from wrist above."  
Thus Fingon drew a knife so keen  
it cut the hand of Maedhros clean.

On eagle's back did they escape,  
and wroth was Sauron as he gaped  
at bloodied fist in cursing sprawl  
that hangs there still upon that wall.


End file.
